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The Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Adeniran, has said the state government is not planning to reintroduce N3,000 development levy, to assist the government in the running of schools.
Speaking with newsmen in his office on Tuesday, Adeniran said the state was not considering the reintroduction of a levy that will be at variance with the free education campaign promise of Governor Seyi Makinde.
According to Adeniran, the current government took care of the N3,000 development levy that was scrapped with the payment of running grants to schools.
“Every government comes with its own programmes and policies. The re-introduction of N3,000 into the school system is not something this government is considering.
“This is because the government is already paying running grants to schools that will cover that aspect. The government has taken it upon itself, in fulfilment of his electioneering campaign, not to collect any money from any pupil.
“We do not want a situation whereby some student will be denied the opportunity of receiving quality education because of the economic circumstances of their parents.
“Some of us enjoyed free education and the governor said he was also a product of free education programme of Chief Bola Ige and to the glory of God, he is governor today.
“So, he wants these students to enjoy free education under his government and that is what he has done and he is paying the schools running grants to cover that.
“So, if he is doing that, why the need for the reintroduction of N3,000?” Adeniran said.
On implementation of Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) in the state, the SUBEB boss said over 5,000 out-of-school children had been added to the enrolment number in the state’s public primary schools.
He added that with the implementation of BESDA, people will soon see Alamjiris and street hawkers being attracted to schools.
Adeniran explained that the state had identified centres across 21 local government areas in the state where Almajiris and hawkers would be trained, noting that the centres will become operational as soon as training of teachers that will work at the centres is concluded.
Adeniran further said that the state will from next session have reading and writing as separate periods on schools’ timetables, adding that Open Day, where students, teachers and parents meet, would be introduced.
This is as he said that Open Day, where students, teachers and parents meet, will be also be introduced from the coming session.